Boost your kid's confidence, no matter the situation

How to Help Children with Low Self-Esteem

How to Help Children with Low Self-Esteem

When your child puts himself down, your first instinct may be to blurt out something positive. “It’s only natural. We get upset when our kids are upset and we want to make them feel better,” says Tamar Chansky, PhD, author of Freeing Your Child from Negative Thinkingand a licensed psychologist. But bathing your child in feel-good statements doesn’t get at the root of the matter. Kids often blame themselves for circumstances that are mostly out of their power—whether it’s being the first in the class to hit puberty or the only one who stutters. Your mission: “Get your child off the hot seat and point out what he can control,” says Dr. Chansky. Learn how to raise your child’s self-esteem when...

...she’s the shortest kid in the class

...she’s the shortest kid in the class

If your child feels bad about her appearance, ask her what clothes she’d wear if she were taller or how she’d do her hair—and then suggest she start now, recommends Dr. Chansky. Or give her something new to feel good about. For instance, Chevy Weiss’s then-nine-year-old daughter was the tallest in her class. Now 12 and 4’11”, she’s the shortest. All those physical changes in such a short span left her feeling insecure, says Weiss, of Baltimore, MD. Because the tween had a beautiful voice, Weiss encouraged her to audition for a girls’ community choir. And now she’s a member singing solos, says her mom.